Women’s struggle for equality isn’t over
(July 17, 2008) Raise your hand if you’re a feminist. This is the challenge that Marjorie Levine-Clark, associate professor of history at UC Denver, presents to each of her classes on the first day of the semester. More often than not, only a few hesitant students raise their hands.
“Feminism is a bad word in our culture,” said Levine-Clark, during her lecture, Why Feminism Matters, held Thursday, July 10, at Skyline Park on the 16th Street Mall downtown. “Feminism means very different things to different people.”
Many argue that feminism is irrelevant in today’s society; that we have achieved gender equality. Others label the feminist as a dangerous, bra-burning man-hater. Still many women think feminism means “the freedom to choose between being a full-time mom . . . and waiting tables at Hooters,” says Levine-Clark. Although personal choice is an important right, “this focus on individual experiences and perceptions sometimes trumps social realities,” she says.
Gender inequalities permeate our society, she says. Today, white women make only three-fourths of the earnings of white males, and that gap increases with racial and socioeconomic factors. In the past 42 years, the wage gap has lowered less than half a penny each year and is now on the decline. “These are not dead issues,” Levine-Clark says.
The associate professor notes that while it’s true that statistics can only go so far, these social realities are more than numbers representing the general population—they reach even the most respected members of our community. She pointed out that Sen. Hillary Clinton has been bombarded with sexually demeaning comments throughout her 2008 presidential campaign. During a public forum held November 2007, Sen. John McCain received the audience question, “How do we beat the b---?” Instead of addressing the comment as derogatory, McCain laughed at the comment and responded, “That’s an excellent question.”
“These social realities shape our choices,” Levine-Clark says. “The discussion surrounding her candidacy suggests that it’s fine to talk publicly about women that way.”
Feminism has grown tremendously in the past century, but its cause remains unchanged. “Feminism means equal rights for everyone,” Levine-Clark stresses. “Feminism matters.”
The lecture is part of Lunch, Link & Learn: Brown Bag Lecture Series organized by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For more information, visit http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/clas/lunchLinkLearn.html.